UM News Digest - Jan. 5, 2026

UM News Digest - Jan. 5, 2026

Equipping men in Africa to make disciples
Campaign seeks to save 10 historic bells
Church leaders denounce military action in Venezuela

“Ministry with and for men is happening in vibrant ways in Africa, and there is a deep desire about discipleship.” — The Rev. Rick Vance, top executive of United Methodist Men.

(From left) Steven Scheid, director of the Center for Scouting Ministries for United Methodist Men, receives communion from Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, who leads the North Alabama and Alabama-West Florida conferences, and Bishop Nelson Kalombo Ngoy of the Tanganyika Episcopal Area. Photo by Eveline Chikwanah, UM News.

Equipping men in Africa to make disciples
MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UM News) — United Methodist Men gathered African leaders for a historic meeting at United Methodist-related Africa University to share ideas, network and collaborate on a vision for men’s ministry on the continent. Conversations focused on The United Methodist Church’s new vision and contextual approaches to discipleship. Eveline Chikwanah reports.

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After being carefully removed, 10 bells that hung in the former Tulip Street United Methodist Church’s tower were placed on a flatbed truck for a journey to Cincinnati, Ohio, where they will be refurbished. Photo courtesy of the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference.

Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference
Church campaign seeks to save 10 historic bells
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ten pieces of Tennessee history were lifted by crane from the bell tower of the former Tulip Street United Methodist Church in late 2025 and sent to Cincinnati, Ohio, to be refurbished. When the bells return, they will be placed back in the tower, as the former church becomes the new home of East End United Methodist Church. East End is restoring the building, and it has launched a separate $400,000 fundraising campaign to save the bells. Tim Tanton, an East End member, has the story.
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MARCHA, Latin American Methodist bishops
Church leaders denounce military action in Venezuela
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — MARCHA, The United Methodist Church’s Hispanic-Latino American caucus, and the Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches in Latin America both denounced the U.S. military incursion into Venezuela on Jan. 3. President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, now face charges in the U.S., while the people of Venezuela face an uncertain future. “We condemn any military intervention that does not respect the sovereignty of peoples and that causes ideologies of death to grow. … In the same way, we condemn all dictatorial positions, oppression and detriment to human dignity,” the council said in its statement.
Read council statement (PDF)
Read MARCHA Facebook post

World Council of Churches
Group sends condolences after deadly Swiss fire
GENEVA — The World Council of Churches has expressed deep sorrow and solidarity following the tragic fire that occurred during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, which claimed the lives of at least 47 people and left 115 injured. The World Council of Churches, whose membership includes The United Methodist Church, is based in Switzerland.
Read statement

Holston Conference
Wrapping up 25 years of ‘The Call’
ALCOA, Tenn. — Annette Spence has completed a quarter century as a Holston Conference staff member and editor of “The Call,” the latest in a long line of conference publications that date back to 1827. Spence plans to do some communications work for the conference on a contract basis. But in the meantime, she shares 10 favorite stories including one about the skunk that almost stole Christmas.
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Oregon-Idaho Conference
Longtime university chaplain dies at 82
SALEM, Ore. — The Rev. Charles Wallace Jr., chaplain at United Methodist-related Willamette University for 27 years, died Dec. 17 following a brief illness. He was 82. His prayers recently were collected in “Praying with Charlie: 27 Years of Meditations, Prayers and Benedictions.” A celebration of life is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. U.S. Pacific time Jan. 25 at Salem First United Methodist Church.
Read obituary

Hart’s Mortuary
The Rev. Don Wood, GNTV leader, dies at 78
MACON, Ga. — The Rev. Donald “Don” Ray Wood, who expanded Good News Television from two hours of programming to a video ministry that supported more than 150 annual conference sessions and countless Christian events, died Dec. 31 at his home. He was 78 and had been dealing with primary progressive aphasia. Wood, an ordained United Methodist elder, was also a proud member of the United Methodist Association of Communicators, receiving multiple awards including Communicator of the Year.
Read obituary
Learn more about GNTV

Wesley Theological Seminary
Seminary names first woman president
WASHINGTON — The board of Wesley Theological Seminary has named Carla Works as the United Methodist seminary’s next president, effective July 1. Works, currently Wesley dean and Woodrow and Mildred Miller Professor of Biblical Theology, is the first woman to serve as president in the seminary’s history.
Read press release

UM News includes in the Digest various commentaries about issues in the denomination. The opinion pieces reflect a variety of viewpoints and are the opinions of the writers, not UM News staff.

Status and Role of Women
A primer on agency’s role as ‘monitor’
CHICAGO — The word “monitor” can have a negative connotation. However, the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women has the mandate to act “as a monitor” of the denomination’s inclusiveness of women. The Rev. Katrena King explains what that role entails. She writes that it’s not about surveillance but awareness.
Read commentary